Are Collin County Divorce Records Public?

In Collin County, divorce records are mostly accessible to the public. The Texas Public Information Act generally allows public access to information created and stored by government entities. In addition, the state law governs the procedures and requirements for obtaining records. For instance, citizens must provide relevant search data to obtain divorce records.

Not all divorce information is accessible to the public. The state law allows government entities to restrict or redact information that, if disclosed, will violate the safety and privacy of concerned parties. Thus, personal information like social security numbers and bank details is mostly excluded from public view.

Note: Case parties can also file a motion with the court to restrict public access to divorce information. Upon receiving the request, the court may seal the record and disclose it to only legally eligible parties.

Who Can Access Collin County Public Records?

All persons or entities have an equal legal right to access public records in Collin County. There is no distinction between state or out-of-state parties seeking to obtain records. However, the state may limit access to confidential or sensitive divorce information. In such cases, only legally eligible parties can inspect and obtain the record. Eligible parties may include the record subject, immediate family relations, authorized legal representatives, and court-approved entities. To obtain confidential divorce data, a valid proof of identity or relationship document must be presented to the record custodian.

There are also instances when record custodian agencies release confidential records to third-party inquirers. In such cases, the third-party inquirer must provide one of the following documents:

• A court order that authorizes them to access the record.
• A signed or notarized letter of consent or authorization from the record subject.

Do I Need to State My Purpose and Use When Requesting Divorce Records in Collins County?

In Collin County, inquirers do not need to provide a reason for requesting divorce records. Instead, they are required to provide search information and valid IDs when requesting divorce records from the district clerk’s office. Note that the district clerk will only disclose confidential divorce information to legally eligible parties, including the record subject and their legal representatives.

How do you Request Divorce Records in Collin County?

Interested persons or entities can request Collin County divorce records by taking these steps:

1. Find the agency responsible for holding the record
   In Collin County, divorce records are obtainable through the district clerk’s office and the Texas Department of State Health and Services (TxDSHS)
2. Determine the available options for obtaining the record
   The district clerk’s office allows online searches, mail-in, or in-person orders for divorce records in their custody. In contrast, the TxDSHS offers only in-person or mail-in access to the records.
3. Order a Collin County divorce record through the preferred request option
   To order divorce records from the TxDSHS, record seekers must submit a completed request form to the agency via mail or in person at:

Physical address
Collin County Clerk’s Office
Administration Building
2300 Bloomdale Road
Suite 2106
McKinney, TX 75071
Phone: (972) 548-4185 (McKinney)
Phone: (972) 424-1460, ext. 4185 (Metro)
Phone: (972) 881-3025 (Metro)
Phone: (972) 424-1460, ext. 3025 (Metro)
Fax: (972) 547-5731

DSHS—Vital Statistics Section
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, TX 78756

Mail address
DSHS - VSS
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040.

In contrast, you can obtain divorce records from the district clerk by submitting a completed record request form to:

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 578
McKinney, TX 75070

Physical Address
2100 Bloomdale Road
Suite 12132
McKinney, TX 75071
Phone: (972) 548-4106

The district court clerk’s office also hosts an online case search platform. To view divorce records on the platform, users must provide search input like the party names, case number, and attorney names.

1. Pay the required fees and wait for the agency to process the request

The district clerk’s office charges $5 per search and $1 for the first ten pages of divorce records. It costs $0.1 per page over 10 pages. Mail-based payments must be in the form of a money order or check made payable to the Collin County clerk’s office. In contrast, the TxDSHS charges $20 for each divorce verification request.

What Information is Included in a Collin County Divorce Record?

Collin County divorce records typically provide information on the following:

• The case parties’ full names
• Case type and filing date.
• Divorce petitioner’s name and lead attorneys
• Number of the parties’ children under 18 years old.
• Marriage dissolution date.
• Court location
• Court disposition, including judgments.
• District court clerk’s name and signature.

Note: Information on minors and financial arrangements is not included in public divorce records.

Fees for Accessing Collin County Divorce Records

In Collins County, the fees for accessing divorce records may differ based on the volume of the requested document, request option, and document type. For instance, the Collin County district clerk charges $5 per search and $1 for the first ten pages of divorce records. Alternatively, it costs $20 to obtain divorce verification documents from the TxDSHS.

Note: There is no information on fee waivers for certain groups of requesters. However, interested parties may contact custodian agencies to find available waivers.

How Long Does It Take to Obtain Divorce Records in Collin County?

In Collin County, it takes up to ten business days for the district court clerk’s office to process requests for divorce records. Note that the processing time may vary depending on the request volume and option. For example, mail-based requests have a longer processing time than in-person or online requests.

Can I Request Divorce Records Online in Collin County?

The Collin County district clerk’s office hosts an online search platform for divorce court cases. Interested parties must provide relevant information to view records on the platform.

Alternatively, TexasCourtRecords.us and other third-party search sites provide access to online divorce records in Collin County. Such sites are typically easy to use and may allow users to download divorce documents. Nevertheless, they are mostly unregulated and may not contain accurate and updated information.

Are There Any Exceptions to Accessing Collin County Divorce Records?

Generally, there are no restrictions to accessing divorce verification documents in Collin County. However, divorce records containing confidential or sensitive data are usually restricted from public access. Only legally eligible parties can obtain such records.